Natura Naturans

"Natura Naturans" is Schelling’s term for the continuous "productivity" of nature: nothing in nature is fixed, instead it is constantly ‘becoming’ as it cycles through stable, unstable, and "metastable" manifestations. His example is the whirlpool, which emerges from the interaction of flow and obstacle becoming pattern.

In my piece, instruments surf this interaction of forces and obstacles. Cello and bass are prepared by coupling strings together with wooden rings, creating unruly resonances, while the clarinet explores spaces between its registers where different resonant obstacles pull the flow of sound into vibrant patterns. The same actions take place over and over but with interference leading to different outcomes.